Your brake pedal sinks to the floor and doesn't stop the vehicle. What does the manual say to try first?
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A.
Pump the pedal to build pressure Correct
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B.
Pull the steering wheel hard to one side
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C.
Turn off the ignition to kill the engine
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D.
Shift straight into park while moving
The answer is "Pump the pedal to build pressure"
Pump the brake pedal to build pressure back up. If that fails, use the parking brake and downshift to slow. Choice C is what a driver reaches for when they think 'engine off means car stopped.' The wheels keep turning after the engine dies, and now the power steering and power brake assist are gone too.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Pull the steering wheel hard to one side
Jerking the wheel at speed invites a skid or rollover and does not slow the car. This answer confuses hard steering with an emergency stopping technique.
C. Turn off the ignition to kill the engine
Killing the engine drops power steering and brake assist, and the car keeps rolling. This answer assumes engine off means car stopped, and forgets what else the ignition powers.
D. Shift straight into park while moving
Shifting into park at speed can destroy the transmission without stopping the vehicle. This answer reaches for the gear labeled 'stop' as if it were a brake.
This question tests your knowledge of Emergencies in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Equipment Failure - Brake Failure," p.89..
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